U.S. hemp production is rapidly increasing. 2018 total hemp licensed acreage was 78,176 acres compared to just 25,713 acres in 2017. Exponential growth in acreage is expected in the years ahead. Cannabidiol (CBD) is an active ingredient in cannabis derived from the hemp plant. CBD product sales in 2018 was $591 million and is projected to grow to $22 billion by 2011 making it the fasted growing industry in the world. The recently passed 2018 Farm Bill removed hemp from the federally controlled substance list and legalized cultivation and interstate transport.
Hemp plants are typically grown in greenhouses and then transplanted outdoor in rows. Weeds are controlled manually to avoid prohibited pesticides and herbicides. Harvesting buds and flowers from hemp plants is typically done manually with hand tools. This is very labor intensive and time consuming. Both of these factors increase production time and increase the cost of bringing various products derived from the buds and flowers to market. Harvesting and post-harvesting is by far the most expensive process in the agricultural process for hemp. What is needed in the art is an automated way to harvest hemp buds and flowers that reduces both time and manpower.